Is it normal for boys to kill animals?
covered in bliss
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A few young men in my neighborhood are very unkind to animals. While car pooling to school this morning, a rabbit ran across the road and I had a 5th grader and his 5 year old brother screaming KILL IT! KILL IT!--then the little guy says to his brother "remember when you killed that baby rabbit?" They LAUGHED about it!
Another kid tortures frogs and I've scolded the kindergartener for trying to smack a squirrel with a tree branch. -I told him it was going to jump out of the tree and bite him if he didn't stop and that it wasn't nice to be mean to animals.
I spent waaay too much time last week trying to make sure a baby rabbit I found in my garage was safe from the young lab dog next door... to hear that this kid KILLED one is very upsetting!!
My dad used to drown kittens when he was younger but he has said that that's just 'what you did' to stray kittens in rural areas back in the 50's. I can almost accept that.
Should I say something to the parents? To the kids? Is this just a phase or are there psycho serial killers growing up all around me?
Another kid tortures frogs and I've scolded the kindergartener for trying to smack a squirrel with a tree branch. -I told him it was going to jump out of the tree and bite him if he didn't stop and that it wasn't nice to be mean to animals.
I spent waaay too much time last week trying to make sure a baby rabbit I found in my garage was safe from the young lab dog next door... to hear that this kid KILLED one is very upsetting!!
My dad used to drown kittens when he was younger but he has said that that's just 'what you did' to stray kittens in rural areas back in the 50's. I can almost accept that.
Should I say something to the parents? To the kids? Is this just a phase or are there psycho serial killers growing up all around me?
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you got some future serial killers on your hands.
I have a feeling the kids would get their asses whipped if I said something to their parents.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serial_killer
"Social Process Theory" has also been suggested as an explanation for serial murder. Social process theory states that offenders may turn to crime due to peer pressure, family, and friends. Criminal behavior is a process of interaction with social institutions, in which everyone has the potential for criminal behavior.[93] A lack of family structure and identity could also be a cause leading to serial murder traits. A child used as a scapegoat will be deprived of their capacity to feel guilt. Displaced anger could result in animal torture, as identified in the Macdonald triad, and a further lack of basic identity.[94]
I got memories. I got shit so much it don't show."
I don't think so but one thing for sure they have not been taught compassion in the home.
There could be a leader of sorts there showing off too.... driving the others.
They obviously need a pet to love, like a rabbit to teach them to respect life,
protect it and love it.
actually, what's your dad doing this weekend?
I would be more concerned with girls killing animals.
really?? normal??
It's not like game hunting, with a clean, quick shot (I do have friends who are hunters)...it sounds more like they enjoy hurting the animal until it dies...that is never a good sign... :shock:
The 2 brothers have 2 little bischon frisee's -however you spell it- for pets. I don't think the mom would put up with any unkindness towards the dogs.
Now that I'm thinking about all of this, I remembered another neighborhood kid that I saw THROWING a puppy down on the sidewalk. When I told his mom, he said it 'jumped' from his arms.....
NOT!
I would let the parents know. You could be helping those kids, especially if one is influencing the other.
:thumbup: Yes! I failed to add this in my post. Thank you! And if the parents don't respond maybe a call to ASPCA would help too.
I think boys DO do some questionable things. Probably more than people are going to admit here!
I guess I don't want to make a big deal out of it if it's unnecessary. Don't want to start anything with the parents or have the kids hate me.
Ooo-that's good. Anonymous phone call to PETA.
Well, it does depend on how bad you think they are being. It's up to you. If you notice anything else out of sorts, I would act immediately.
And yes, the call would be anonymous.
Oh wait, he's dead.
Bundy was known for killing animals as a child before becoming one of the most notorious serial killers in America's history.
So, I'd say it's definitely not a good sign.
They KILLED another living creature just to watch it die.
I'mnot even going to begin to tell you how big a deal I think that is.
I just know what I would do if it were me. but it's you so you need to do what you feel is right.
I had a friend in middle school who had a BB gun and he would shoot pigeons off the power lines. He also shot at squirrels and killed a few. I dont know why, but I did it too.. probably just feeling peer pressure. But like hewhoforgets, I've never shot anything in my life since that day. It actually gave me a bit of a wake-up call to how fragile life is. I still feel bad about it. But I also recall some of the kids bragging about their 'kills'. Some boys need crap like this to feel macho I think. But shortly after that, the guy with the BB gun moved on to go-carting and video games and he didnt kill animals anymore that I knew of. Boys do weird, fucked up shit. But I would watch for other warning signs, as this is said to be similar behavior to some sociopaths/serial killers.. its hard to say unless we know those boys you talk about though.
Where I'm not ugly and you're lookin' at me
I know one boy in elementary school cornered a badger, and kept poking at it with a stick making it angry...he kept poking it until it died. He grew up to have 4 kids, and a pit bull that he would egg on to go chase cats...well, the dog went on to kill 3 cats in his neighborhood...and he thinks it's funny. I don't like knowing that he is raising his children in this type of environment, but you can't pick your family members, only your friends.
- Christopher McCandless
San Diego 2003
Grand Rapids 2004
Grand Rapids 2006
Detroit 2006
Columbus 2010
"With my own two hands I can change the world."
These kids need more parenting. Children need to be taught to be kind and not cruel to animals. If you're the only adult around, YOU should say something. Then, follow it up with a conversation with the child's parent.
Adults need to instill kind behavior into children every time they see some kind of cruel tendency emerging. Parents and adults in general have to teach children what's acceptable and what's not.
And, no, it's not normal for young children to kill baby rabbits and try to hit squirrels with sticks.
You know, that's the crux of the matter...it's like they have no empathy for the animals...it's what allows us to decipher helpful from harmful.
EDIT: It also could mean that the same is possibly happening at home to them...just a thought... :think:
I was brought up in a rural area and had livestock as a child. I also worked on a hog farm where we had to "thump" the lame pigs. I never really tortured animals, but I killed some frogs, snakes and prolly some other things I can't remember
There were several guys in my school that would drive around every weekend lookin for varmints to kill, skunks, coons, possums, stuff like that and most of them are about as nice a guys as you're gonna meet. There were even times I thought they took it a little too far with it. Just about everybody that grew up around here will have similar stories.
For people to start making comparisons to Ted Bundy is a little ridiculous. Maybe a call is in order, maybe it isn't, but chances are it's just a phase.